We headed out Friday am to 15 knot winds with some good chop mixed in with the classic Great Lakes rollers. I don't like dealing with fleas so I loaded the reels with Blood Run Tackle Sea Flea and have to say it worked very well. Nary a flea the whole time we fished. We did get some on the wire and copper sets but mostly down at the swivels.
We towed to Oswego and ran out to about 250' of water and found temp at 100' with the fish hawk. Deployed bags in the wind and set up a spoon program on 4 riggers to start out. 100 down, tight to the weights. We made a few passes and then started switching over to a flasher fly set on the riggers. We trolled 2.5 - 2.7mph and the rigger fired with a dark green pro-troll and an A-Tom-ik crinkle fly. Mac jumped to the rod and a great fight ensued. The King ripped about 100' of line out in a second and took a couple other runs to get a good workout for sure. Mac played the king and just as he was bringing the fish to the net another rigger fired and I grabbed it with no one home. Short strike. ...but the close call with a double was good fun. I netted Mac's 17.5lb king and we celebrated our first king on the Pamela Jean.
We set the riggers back up and started to set up the wire dipsey program. I found out I was Twili-challenged when I installed the tips on the wire rigs when they pulled off the end after the 2nd retrieve. Oh well, keep working the riggers. and deal later with the twill's.
We weren't setup for long when the rigger fired again and Wyle had his first ever king on for a fight. The king took off hard and then turned and ran straight for the boat. Wyle kept the slack out and the fish ran right past the boat. I turned to try nd get it lined up and it took off in the other direction. Mac netted the 18lber and we were psyched.
Needless to say I was psyched to have a couple Kings aboard!
We buzzed around out a bit deeper and then we called it quits fairly early and headed back to Catfish Creek to filet em up
I headed to Fat Nancy's and got the twills all set up. Great folks there. Super glue was the key.
After a good night's sleep we hit the lake in 10 knots on Saturday. Everyone was talking deep but we hit our meatballs over 250. we deployed 2 wires with dispels, one 400 copper and 4 riggers.
We made a couple passes and just as I was thinking we should head for the deeper water the port wire fires and I grab it to see if I can land my first of the trip. I had a short fight and I dropped the first of the day. OK, gotta find more.
We passed the meatballs on the Lowrance another time and then I pointed it NW. We briefly thought of pulling and running but since the radio was crackling that the bite was slow we decided to stay on the hunt. The charters started trolling back as we trolled out.
Mac took over the wheel and I laid down on he engine cover to practice a fish meditation that often pays off. It looks nap-like but is really a deep meditation to visualize fish coming into the set.
Mac had just handed the wheel over to Wyle for a break and one of the riggers with the same flasher fly set as the day before fired. I am rousted with "c'mon Matt Fish on!" with some engine cowling slapping. Well, that is his story anyway... I say I jumped up as soon as the drag sung...
I grabbed the rigger rod and the screaming drag helped clear the cobwebs for sure.
The king made 4 short runs each time I thought I had gained on it. Felt good to be fighting a nice fish and Mac netted it at the stern.
Beautiful King for sure.
It was great having the big pond all to ourselves with only a couple boats way off in the distance.
We reset and started working the deeper water out over 600'. We trolled back toward our meatball from Friday and Wham! another rod fires. Mac grabbed the rod and the fight ensued.
Reset and within about 15 minutes the rod fires again and a screamer takes off. Wyle grabs the rig and another fight is on
after some good long runs Wyle lands a 21lb king after a few fat leaps by the pig as it fought back
another rod pops and Mac landed a juvie that went bak to the drink for another year
the sun started getting lower and some interesting clouds settled in
and with them the lake laid right down for a beauty of a night.
We changed up colors in the low light and went to brighter chartruse flashers and fly combos. Mac grabbed the next rod and a whopper was putting a big bend in the rod. We cleared a few lines and another beauty!
The bite definitely turned on and it was good to be there for it! We took a few more passes and took inventory of fuel. It was about time to head for port. We decided to slowly break down the port side with the copper on the board and a wire/dipsey. Mac and Wyle had juster buttoned up that side when the starboard wire fires. It's another screamer and I left the wheel to grab it. The wire was out 240 and it instantly stripped another 100 feet off the reel in a heartbeat. The sun was getting low and it was a surreal scene to be fighting a fish directly in the sun beam on the water. The fish took a massive jump far behind the boat and we knew that we had a nice chromer on!
The steelie put on one heck of a fight and entertained me with many huge airmails and some screaming runs before Mac putting it in the net.
A 10lb Steelhead was a nice way to end the frenzied night.
It was a great time to head for port
8 kings and a steelie over 2 days. It was a slow bite so we consider ourselves very lucky and glad we are able to mix it up a bit.
What a great time fishing with great friends! I had a blast and the Pamela Jean served us well on the big pond. I will never forget that Steelie jumping in the sunlight. What a great memory.
Thanks for taking a look at our story.
Fish on.
Matt
